Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]

It took me a long time to get onto books.
The first one was Teach Yourself Polish by M. Corbridge-Patkaniowska, published by the English Universities Press in 1964.
It delves into a different grammatical area with each short chapter. It is old-fashioned but I like it.
I also have a much more modern one I picked up. It is rubbish, yet in one of the more popular series' of language course books.

But the way I started was learning a handful of phrases for a holiday a few years ago,
followed by learning a load of stuff by ear from workmates. It was only when I was given that first book that I got an idea of how bizarre the spelling system looks.


4 weeks of learning, followed by a lifetime of fluency!

Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]


I started by asking how to say this or that, then mimicking what I heard, then trying to piece things together, often havin gmy grammar corrected. Swearing and being (jokingly) offensive was my strong point, along with asking my colleagues to go there, sweep this, tie that up...

So I was speaking some Polish before the book(s).


A bit. I've gone over lessons 1 to 5 in the better one of the book quite a few times. I have found that any book will be better used in combination with trying to actually use the language as well.

But the honest answer is yes, but only a bit. That's more of a reflection on the effort I have been putting in for the last couple of months.

Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]


They're all difficult - even the easy ones.


Maybe. If you start by learning by ear, the pronunciation is not particularly difficult.
But then, I'm quite good at putting on different accents, doing impressions of people and so on.

Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]


Some knowledge of French comes from knowing English quite well.
I did a bit of French at school, which would help if I was inclined to take it up again.
This can help as a gateway to any of the Latin-derived languages.
German does look difficult - English is a bit too different.
I imagine that if I were to suddenly switch to trying to learn say, Czech instead, the knowledge I have of Polish would give me a head-start.

Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]


Agree.

One example I heard was an Essex man who started talking like an Italian. Part of this was because his stroke affected movement in his tongue and he started pronouncing t and d in the Mediterranean style. Beyond that, strange things do happen.

I don't recommend intentional self-imposed brain-damage as a language-learning tool.

Language / I want to learn Polish. Where to start? [180]

There are Polish words that come from French.
French was THE language to learn a couple of hundred years ago.

English borrowed a lot then, but it had already borrowed a lot from the Norman era.

Warranty / Guarantee - the first one was from Old Norman French, the second from early Modern French.

Some Polish words from French:
plaza < Fr. plage - beach
ekran < Fr. ecran - screen (related to the English word too, I think)

I also like
usatysfakcjonowanowac
indywidualnie (there is a wy... word from this that's even better, but I don't know how to spell it)

UK, Ireland / Polish opinion of England as a country and the English nation [64]


True.
Most of us aren't out of control.


Can there be a little bit more staying on topic?

As I'm not Polish, it is not for me to comment, other than to pass on opinions of Polish people I know or have known.

Most of these opinions, when put in front of me, have been fairly indifferent.

UK, Ireland / Polish opinion of England as a country and the English nation [64]


Don't worry - I know you never said that. I thought I'd just chip that in there.


Here you either get those that love or those that hate.
It's a shame that the representation here comes across as so polarised.

UK, Ireland / Polish immigration in UK [491]

If a boost to an ageing population helps to keep an economic crisis away by bringing in taxes, a strong economy keeps unemployment down, then what is the problem? There is probably more of a problem where the working-age population is leaving towns and villages with little more than a few old folks.

UK, Ireland / Polish opinion of England as a country and the English nation [64]


Why then, today, our mystery temps at work were a mix of Poles, Slovenians, Lithuanians and British. Who was lazy?

It may have more to do with the kind of British people who do unskilled manual labour in temping agencies rather than nationality - they are the ones who are more likely to have the language skills to get out. Unless they are genuinely useless, they will be there for less time than migrant workers with either less linguistic ability, or more likely, being stuck in a position where they are tied to a particular agency that have them by the b0ll0cks.

Language / Polish Lessons Units [189]

I liked some of the other videos found on the same youtube site.
When you're learning off work colleagues, there are some questions about the language that you don't really like to ask, but you feel you need to know the answers.

Off-Topic / PF - The Omnibus Edition [1502]

Thanks for advertising my forthcoming album.

• 
  
  

UK, Ireland / Polish immigration in UK [491]

If that's average, should this spur me on to learn more Polish?

UK, Ireland / Polish immigration in UK [491]


The kind of troll that comes to this forum to complain about Joe Pole also complains about all of the above too.
Some people just recognise that there are problems with people who don't work when they are able to.


They were not mentioned? That would have made the figures more interesting.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

Cicho! might suffice, or perhaps
zamknij sie prosze. Although it's shut up, at least there's a please.
You could add (Ja) mowie po polsku.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

Kurwa chuju jebany - excuse me sir, you seem to have annoyed me somewhat and I wish to make this known to you.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


For some people, they're the words you hear most of.


Bollox.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

I've never used that one as a swear word.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

I thought I was wearing my serious face avatar.
I was about to say something about botox and faces, but (strangely for this thread) decided to censor myself.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

W**k is not as dirty a word as the word job, to paraphrase General Melchitt.

UK, Ireland / Polish immigration in UK [491]

If anyone finds it hard to get a job, that is not the end of it.
Do something you don't expect you'd like to do - I did.
Or perhaps find something no-one else is doing that there might be a market for and set up a small business.
Maybe education or training is the answer.
Move to another town, another country - go where the work is.
We all have to make sacrifices in life.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


Dog's blood. This has been on this thread many times.
I don't think it's very popular these days.


About the level of the word 'Damn'.

UK, Ireland / What do Polish people think about Wales and Welsh people? [191]

I have to say I wasn't expecting a flood of Polish people saying the Welsh have all been really nasty to them and that the English in comparison, are really nice.

UK, Ireland / How many of your co-workers in the UK are Polish? [30]

In a company of about 35 people, we have 3 Poles full time. When you add the fluctuating number of temps, the Pole quantity can increase by another 4, although recently there have been more Slovakians and Lithuanians.

I could also add that there are 2 Hungarians, a Sri Lankan and an Australian. There have also been Germans, French, Dutch and South Africans. Someone in the company might even be Welsh (Mr. Jones).

UK, Ireland / What do Polish people think about Wales and Welsh people? [191]


They love it really.

Ask about extra large Wellington boots,
ribbons in the sheep's fleeces,
or practical uses of a steep cliff.

UK, Ireland / What do you hate about England and English people? [142]


Check out my Welsh thread. I've picked on our Scottish friends enough already for the time being.

UK, Ireland / How many of your co-workers in the UK are Polish? [30]


Doesn't this give you some sort of special status that might risk being undermined if another Pole were to join?

More importantly, workers of all nationalities are treated exactly the same. The only difference is with the agency staff who are only on worse terms due to the nature of agency employment. This is unfair, but there is the hope for them that someone will reward good work with a proper job somewhere. This has happened in the past where I work.

UK, Ireland / What do you hate about England and English people? [142]


Can we call it a full English breakfast?

UK, Ireland / What do you hate about England and English people? [142]


Myth


I believe and approve of that one.


Fallen out of use since the days of Ollie Cromwell.


Have you seen how much they drink there?


I haven't seen this yet. Man-boobs and beer-bellies are not enough to fool even British police.


You didn't mention the Welshman in Chester on a Sunday.